Sense and Sensibility

Appreciation or critique of Packaging is almost like Music appreciation or understanding a painting of a renaissance artist in a museum or an apparel in a fashion show. How often we come across people who know so little about all this but who take extreme pride in demonstrating their aesthetic sense.

Understanding of Packaging is a fine blend of an aesthetic sense and a sensibility about what makes packaging beautiful.

To appreciate music we need not necessarily know music, in the same way to appreciate packaging we need not know materials, printing, brand management, moulding processes etc. This ability of appreciating packaging develops and grows as one keeps on consciously observing packaging and making a mental note of what is right or wrong about it. Designers and packaging specialists have this acumen, as they are involved with this medium with a certain amount of passion. Consumers appreciate it based on what is pleasing to their eye, suits their personality and works suitably in usage. Marketing Managers view it from the angle of what fits in best with their Brand and competitive strategy.

This is fine, as long the appreciation and critique is contextual, however issues start coming in when people use this as an opportunity to demonstrate their aesthetic sense and their knowledge of all things beautiful. We need to be wary of such observations, as very often they may not be true, honest and relevant. These observations tend to lead the Packaging into a wrong direction, often eliminating some very path breaking ideas. Such people often are not able to see meaning in ideas, which are unique and innovative, thus, often extinguish it by trivializing it or throwing it out of the window without giving any reasons.

Just like in any form of art, if we like or dislike, we substantiate it with a logical reason, in the case of packaging one should follow similar principles. If packaging has to move on into different dimensions and with time, we need more and more people who appreciate it with a sense and sensibility and discourage observations, which do not have a clear logic.

One way of doing this is to always ask the observer as to WHY he/ she likes or dislike a particular design or a Packaging idea and probe adequately before giving up. If the response to your WHY is satisfactory you should work with it, however if it is not, do not get discouraged and continue to pursue what you developed with your own deep rooted understanding.

The Right Dimension

Every packaging has two dimensions, the Internal dimension and the External dimension. The Internal Dimension is the measurement on the Engineering drawing of the complete structure without taking into consideration the wall thickness or the Calliper of the substrate used. The External dimension is the complete measurement taking into account the wall thickness of the substrate, thus it is equal to the Internal dimension plus the substrate thickness.
Both the Internal and the External dimensions have significant roles to play and one has to be really clear as to what dimension to use in which case. An incorrect communication in this regard could create a huge problem for the packaging.
In most of the cases one must specify the Internal dimension of the Packaging, as the substrate thickness may vary from time to time and place to place. Thus to make a cutting tool or a mould or a die , the first step is to get the Internal dimension right. However in case of working out the size for the Overwrap or the top label etc, the External dimensions are required. One must freeze the External dimension only and only if the substrate specification is firmed up. Even a few millimeters of changes could result in incorrect formations, improper closures and sometimes a really un-balanced look of the over all packaging.
The other big issue comes in if the Internal dimension is by error taken as the External dimension, in such a case the required volume of the product or the required size may just not fit in and result in a wasteful exercise.
Very often it is this simple understanding or rather mis-understanding which could actually make your packaging successful or unsuccessful. So , what does one need to do and what processes could be built in. One simple method is to clearly indicate on all the Engineering drawings if the measurement is Internal or External. Secondly check with all concerned in the chain, as to what would be their requirement of the dimension and provide the inputs accordingly.
Lets at least start with being conscious about this aspect and ensure that we are right on this dimension.

Not Opened is not Sold

The fact is that after the consumer has bought your Brand, the first interface that he/she has is the opening of the packaging and dispensing the product. This opening is a very key experience and plays a significant role in the Brand appeal. If opening of a pack is a struggle or complicated , there is a huge possibility for the consumers to not to pick it up next time. Thus if the consumer has not had a clean and easy experience , it ultimately means the product not used well, which in effect means the Brand not sold.
In our strive to be different , we may look at several innovative ways on opening and closing a packaging, we need to make a very hard nosed assessment before we freeze the idea for our Brand. Off course we need to strike a balance between the product protection/ shelf life and the ease for the consumer. That judgement the specialists have to make from time to time, however we have to guard against over jealous product developers and the testing labs. Very often the standards set for the product protection is so high , though not actually required and this leads to Packaging becoming cumbersome and over protective.
There are several Brands, where the Opening instructions are very clearly given and if the consumers follow it , they are unlikely to experience any difficulties. We need to make sure that such instructions are not left hidden on some insignificant panel almost like a statutory clause, but is up fronted and virtually instigates the consumers to read that first.
Very often there are small issues on the packers which are left un-ironed and on the other hand there could be slippages on the in- coming quality control from the suppliers. We need to sort these out before a final go ahead is given for a market entry.
Research with the consumers , could be a great way of fine tuning and ensuring that one does not go wrong. However this will have to be on audio visual or actually watching them live using the product and not based upon a report.
If one had to really define what is opening, it would include the first experience, re- opening and closing till the product is used and also protect the product while in use.
Remember, what does not get opened is actually not sold !

Packaging Supplier - one or plus one

Whenever a unique idea or innovation needs to be implemented, packaging supplier perhaps may not be available. Thus to get the idea going, you may have to develop the packaging supplier or motivate an enthusiastic supplier to work upon delivering your concept. In the process you may end up having a single source of supply and perhaps you may need to continuously nurture the source and keep the motivation going.
There are situations, when you may need to work with a supplier , who is unique in the field and may be holding a Patent on the process or the design. Here you may get bounded by the terms and perhaps a have little scope of negotiation.
It is indeed a fact that no one would wish to be in such situation and definitely want a win- win case. How does one manage this, how do we make the supplier base 'one plus one' , these are some of the worries that the Packaging head always carries.
There are no clear solutions, but there is definitely a case for always starting the development with at least two sources and take it up to a stage before one of them is shortlisted. That way one has always an opportunity to get back back to the left out source, in case there are some issues and concerns with the current. The other area which one must study well, is the Patent or copyright issue, try not to work with the sources, where you could get too dependent upon one of them. Work out agreements, wherein the Packaging development process or the Design is a shared asset and are not unilateral.
The reality is that there is so much creativity involved in packaging that more often than not suppliers start working on the concept because of the immense satisfaction that they derive from the experience. They often take it up as a challenge upon themselves to get the design or the process right and it is not just for the monetary gains. We need to look upon such business associates with immense respect and nurture them with full support. It is these relationships on which challenging Packaging projects are built upon and one may never need more than one such source ever.

Give me Red !

The importance of red and the kind of role it has played in Packaging is amazing. Be it any product category, the colour Red has always been a key tool in the Packaging designers hand. One has often tried to answer as to what is in this colour , what emotions it evokes or why it works for so many Brands. There are theories and theories about the linkages of red to Power, the energy and the vibrancy that it brings into human emotions.

Somewhere the colour Red has had an immense role to play in all societies and continues to do so, thus establishing a place in the consumer mind space. It is perhaps this understanding and knowledge, that the packaging designers have used to the maximum advantage.

Red is perhaps not linked to any flavour e.g Orange, Yellow etc., it is so very neutral, thus has a very wide range of applications. A dash of Red on a simple design adds vibrancy to Packaging and instantaneously makes it eye catchy. Red adds intensity and richness, while still remaining mainstream, unlike colours like Black etc, which add intensity but also tend to make the Packaging niche. Red adds the contemporary tones to the Pack without turning it into Ultra premium. On the other hand, Red is timeless , it was fashionable earlier, now and would continue to be. Red blends beautifully with several colours while retaining its identity. No wonder lots and lots of designers have said 'Give me red '.

And so have lots and lots of Consumers, some of the largest and most successful Brands are packaged in red or have prominence of red. These Brands may have spun off lots of variants,but somewhere the mainline variant has continued to retain red.

Packaging your pack

A lot goes in getting your packaging right, perfect and it is indeed such an elated feeling to see your creation in its full glory. The issue comes in when what we see in our Studio or the 'Factory outgoing' is not what we see in the stores or the sales counter. We do pay a lot of attention to get the primary pack right and in the process often miss out or sub optimise the secondary packaging that ultimately carries your wonderful creation to the consumer.
It is not uncommon to walk pass a store and see some great brands having scratches on the pack , or some seems bursting open or some glue flaps opening out or some rich colours which do not look so rich. What is going wrong and what are we doing to ensure that this problem does not perpetuate.
We need to ensure that the right materials are used for packing, with the appropriate specifications, required strength and proper arrangement in the master shipper. Due tests need to be performed before a material is firmed up for the secondary packaging, can it bear the weight to be carried , can it last through the transportation journey, can it reach the intended destination in the same glory as we saw it when it left our premises.
Very often the maximum cost cutting happens on the secondary packaging as by the time the primary packaging is done and ready, one has already exhausted the budgets and time. Thus we rush in with what is available or easily sourced. In the process not realising that all the spends on the primary packaging will bring fruit only and only if the consumer sees it is in its perfect form.
The other major concern comes in when the ugly marks , scuffed surface, scratches or open seams lead to a negative product perception and loss of Brand imagery.
Right from the brief stage, one must keep in sight the secondary packaging, keep the due time for planning and sourcing and set in all the required parameters that need to be adhered to in the chain from the factory to the sale point. Not following this principle may result in unbounded creative expression, accolades, successful launches but perhaps depleting consumers.
Lets package our pack well, before we have no consumers for our Brand.

Luxury thy name is Packaging

For a discerning consumer , the Product is the key reason for a Luxury Brand to be considered an item of Luxury, thus the product really is the key differentiator. However , for a Luxury Brand to Look luxurious is of extreme importance, thus the complete presentation and the emotions it arouses in the target consumer is of no less significance. The packaging defines the Luxury, from the not so Luxurious and is evident in all Brands which claim to be in that league.
When it comes to Luxurious packaging, one view is that the understated and the minimalistic execution, brings in the ultra premium appeal. Thus designs which are simple yet elegant, muted yet with a premium finish and in treatments not so commonly seen , are the way to go. However on the other hand there are Brands which have Packaging which drips of luxury, right from the materials used to being ultra engaging and over the top.
Truly there are no set rules for a packaging to be defined as luxury, it lies in the way the entire execution and the treatment is worked out. However one fact remains, one look at a Luxury packaging and the immediate response that it should elicit is that it is prepared with a lot of patience and care. This feel of patience and care reflects in the detailing, finishing and the ' No short cuts ' approach.
The consumer of a luxury product needs to be given the feel that all the care is being showered upon him/her and this has to start right from the first experience of the packaging itself. Thus for a packaging designer for a Luxury Brand , one needs to keep in view the reflection of ' Care and Patience ' in the complete development and the execution, because that is what differentiates Luxury from the others, after all !

Thought through Artwork

We all may claim that we develop good design artwork, I believe that our claim is valid if we have ensured that the artwork is thought through.
An artwork has to end up delivering the desired results, as one has visualized. To make that happen, it is not just enough to place all the elements in the required layout, it is equally important, that one can visualize as to what is likely to happen by placing a particular element in a certain place. Vignettes are specially an absolute problem, if the intensity is incorrect or is interfering with some critical fonts. One needs to ensure that while vignettes and highlights add depth and dimension but should be used in a very controlled manner, too much of it can prove to be a problem for the design. Cut outs in an artwork are critical specially for mandatory text. One needs to keep in mind that if a cutout is taken through two colours, it may result in text filling in, or lack of print sharpness. Very often we develop a 'straight line' but as a cut out through two colours, we need to remember that a straight line may not look so straight if it is coming through two special colours printed one after the other.
An artwork may give a good reproduction on a white substrate but may need to be modified if it has to give equally good results on a metallic substrate. likewise a four colour artwork may need to be completely modified if it needs to print with special colours.Giving the right tolerances from the cut points/ serrations will ensure that the required elements do not get cut during the conversion processes.
Thus a seemingly beautiful artwork may not necessarily be a great one if it is not prepared keeping in mind all that it has to go through in the development process. The best artwork is that which is thought through end to end and builds into itself all the necessary features to ensure that it gives a perfect reproduction.

Inspiration + Perspiration

A lot of time and effort goes into getting your Packaging right and truly it pays at the end to see your Packaging playing the intended role. However somewhere there has to be some inspiration to put together a creative idea.
Often an inspiration leads to a concept , which leads to the idea and which ultimately leads to the creative outcome. So be it a simple pattern, a font, a motif, choice of colour , the feel or anything look for an inspiration which becomes the basis for your Packaging development.
This inspiration may come from anywhere, it could be nature, things around you, a movie you saw, a painting you admired, a piece of furniture you saw , could be anything. The inspiration needs to be worked upon, perhaps certain amount of research and sometimes detailed research.The research helps in building up the concept and ensures that there are no negatives attached to the object of inspiration. It also helps in building up valuable data on what kind of colours, what kind of structure, what kind of finish, what kind of embossing infact a whole lot of direction into the packaging development.
The most important thing that this inspiration does is, it lends credibility, makes the whole exercise more interesting and more meaningful. It gives the team working on the project a hook and adds liveliness to the teamwork.
This then ultimately gives a basis for the design presentation, helps in connecting with the target audience and something to remember by, even if the idea does not work or the project fails!
So let inspiration drive our packaging, perspiration could follow later on.

Get it right Techincally !

No matter how creative , differentiated, evolved or innovative, Packaging can be successful only and only if the Technical parameters are set right. In fact those who take care of this, from the very beginning are likely to be highly successful in their endeavour.
The creative expression has to be converted into an approximate sizing and measurements. This depending upon machine or hand packing, needs to be converted into an Engineering drawing, as the next step. This drawing provides all the detailed measurements sometimes into decimals , with angles, cuts , creases, print areas, non print areas, text areas etc. Needless to say, that often this drawing gets modified and re-engineered till all aspects are aligned, including the creative, sizing, filling and packing, dispensing, etc. One can safely say that, this is the basic first step in any packaging development and one should not let any compromises set in.
Once the Engineering drawing has been finalized, the material needs to be firmed up. Very often the material needs to be defined in terms of thickness, stiffness, smoothness, gloss factor etc. Once again each of the required variables need to be defined and perhaps even tolerances provided. This is imperative as very often certain materials are available within a defined range of specifications and one has to keep that in perspective.
The material plays a significant role for the product shelf life and in conjunction with the Product developers one needs to finalise this specification , with perhaps no tolerances possible.
Getting the Packaging right Technically, thus is the key step and ensures that the future steps get implemented successfully. Take for instance, that the Creative has developed a wonderful design, but when put into the final Engineering drawing it loses all the aesthetics. To avoid such a wasteful effort, if the Engineering drawing is provided from the very beginning , the Creative could work within those boundaries and still get the aesthetics right.
How often we ignore this basic first step, how often we jump into development and try to solve this issue at a later date and how often we regret for all the time loss and re- iteration. So lets get things perfect ,Technically right from the very beginning , yes
' Perfect ' absolutely !

Timeless Packaging

We talk of arts, crafts and music which are timeless , hold relevance for generations to come and continue to be on many a wish list. Packaging falls very much in the same league. There are Brands , which have not changed their packaging for years or have changed very minimally but continue to be of value to the society.

One must try to understand as to what are the features in such packaging that make it Timeless, what do the consumers perceive in it and continue to stay with it.

Very often it is the shape and the tactile feel that the Pack offers, perhaps the consumers find it easy to hold, carry , store and dispense. The question to ask is that what kind of creative inputs would have led to the development of such a shape which consumers do not want to change or give up. On the other hand there are certain Font styles and mnemonics which continue to be on Packaging labels , consumers continue to emotionally link with it and derive the advantages associated with it. There are certain colours and graphics which have not only got associated with certain brands, but have almost become generic for certain product categories.

It is always a huge challenge to create a packaging which can work for a brand across segments and across generations. The fact is there some extremely creative and knowledgeable Packaging developers out there who at some point of time worked upon and developed a packaging which turned out into a piece of art to value and to cherish.

It is definitely a very acute sense of consumer understanding and creative ability that perhaps leads to the coming in of such timeless packaging. However one feature that is evident in all such cases is the simplicity and the power of minimalism. A lot is said through a simplistic rendition and perhaps this is the key to making your packaging a timeless one.

Rainbows day after day

The field of Packaging is full of opportunities for creativity, innovations, problem solving and just sheer excitement. There is never a dull moment, just when you thought you have solved it all, there is another issue to be addressed. Infact Packaging is one area , where you can continuously define and redefine the boundaries thus making ones career a real enjoyable one.

Designing is like a canvas on which one can paint the way one wants , with ones own technique and with ones own imagination of colours. Off course, one has to work within the parameters of a brief, but here also one can challenge the limits , expand the scope and make a differentiation.

Just when you are ready with the design on the computer, you need to create the prototypes, which itself adds to another challenge to the exercise. The packaging needs to then run on the packers at the specified speeds and efficiencies. The packaging needs to provide the adequate shelf life and thus the specifications needs to be worked of the materials to be used. Very often what gives a good shelf life does not look very good or what meets all expectations is too expensive.

The interesting point is that the Packaging developer needs to answer all these questions and often this needs creative problem solving.

Thus there is so much of colour in ones life, there is so much to lose and so much to win, infact so much to look forward to. There will be Rainbows day after day !

It is an area where Passion can drive Innovation and results are tangible. The important point is passion and the continuous endeavour to take the Bar up. The vision to create Packaging strategies which offer challenges not only for you but also for people around you.

You say YES, I say NO

In any creative development process there is likely to be subjectivity in decision making and somewhere Packaging is a perfect and an ideal example. It is amazing how from the very beginning each one involved in the process starts nurturing a favourite design and wants to see it going into the market. This ' My Favourite ' slowly starts becoming almost a commitment and gives into debates and arguments on how 'My judgement is better than that of yours '. These debates and intellectual rationalisation is often an expression of how well one understands the consumer and how well this meets the brief. It is not uncommon to somewhere even redefine the brief to fit in the idea which 'I' believe is right.

The real drama begins when the Designs move to different functions and it is a stark and a clear demonstration of ' You say yes and I say No'. The race begins on what should go into the Consumer research and is my idea getting into the research or not.

One can say that it is not unhealthy to see this flow of expressions, infact it may even be fruitful as long as it is keeping in focus a well defined and a steady brief. The Packaging development team and the Designers can ensure that, they time and again remind the project holders and the decision makers on the Brief set out and the Objectives defined for the Brand. It is infact extremely desirable if the 'Yes and No' debate is helping the refinement and helping the creative add more and more value to the Packaging.

The Consumer research results are awaited with a baited breath and then the endless discussions commence on the interpretation and answering the question

' What next '. In principle one should take in each and every input from the research and thoroughly analyse before discarding or disregarding, thus helping to build in a way forward brief for the development.

The challenge is to ensure that the innovation and the creative expression does not get diluted and ultimately the approach that rightfully deserves to go to the consumer gets the final ' Yes '.

Who asked for Quality !

Quality in Packaging is a term that has a different meaning for every person involved in the process. The Consumer looks for a certain Quality and the Researchers make every effort to detail it so that the Packaging developers could work towards it.
The Designer looks for quality but does not want to compromise on the aesthetics, thus tries to push his/her design concept, so what if it leads to a slight deviation from the specified Quality. The Engineers look for Quality but do not want to lower their machine speeds or capacities, thus want features to be build in which ensures their high productivity while packing. The Material Buyers are looking for quality but also want reduced costs and crashed timelines, thus recommend standardisation. The Brand Manager wants Quality in no way inferior to competition but has a finite time and depleted Budgets. The Suppliers want to deliver quality but often miss out on development steps and thus want approvals on deviations.
The Challenge for the Packaging developers is to anticipate all such Quality expectations and still be able to innovate and carry a meaningful Packaging to the consumer. A very methodical way could be an agreement of all the stake holders involved and a buy in on the Specifications. This itself , often is a complicated process and may take a significant amount of time and effort to arrive at a conclusion.More often than not the development work goes on even as the stake holders decide , to not to agree for whatever reasons.
The reality is no amount of systems or project softwares can solve such issues , infact they often add on to the complexities and communication nightmares.
The competitive pressures start building up and the Brand needs to get into the Market, ultimately many waking up and asking ' But who asked for quality ', lets get into the market and keep improving as we go along.
The question that we all need to answer is that ultimately did the Consumer get the quality that he/she was looking for.

The Killer Prototype

Every Packaging Developer wants to make prototypes of the packaging design which are indeed a very close replica of the actual consumer pack, thus make a real killer prototype. What the creative comes up with on the computer starts making sense, when one sees a formed pack in the desired size and shape. To get this right is indeed a challenge by itself , incase the prototype is not good enough the Creative may get rejected or if the prototype is too good and out of bounds, it may create disillusionment later on.

A packaging developer should pay a very high amount of importance to this exercise and make all efforts to achieve a close look alike to the bulk in all respects. The fact is that it is this little distance of close and a perfect match that often changes the course of a project.

In some materials or shapes getting the prototype to a very ' close to bulk ' finish may be extremely difficult or often prohibitively expensive. In some cases the developers may go to the extent of preparing the prototypes on the actual Bulk machine itself. This is feasible only if the project timelines and budgets offer scope and are not too limiting.

Often to test out the product shelf life one has no alternative but to get the prototypes in the specified material specification, size and shape. In such a case one should build in adequate timeline and budget for going through this process.

The issue comes in where in the time and the costs do not permit for a very intensive prototyping exercise and yet the project needs to go through the various stages. The challenge for the Packaging development is to set up systems and processes that will support the prototype development ensuring the creative comes alive duly and also bridges the gap between the bulk manufacture. A whole lot of industries have Pilot plants or simulation labs which do a lot of good quality prototype work.

The real test of creativity comes in in bringing in value addition to what is shown on the computer as a design concept. Here a whole lot of knowledge in the areas of materials, printing etc. support the value addition process. The question that needs to be answered at each stage is the ability of doing such value additions in the bulk manufacture. There are prototyping specialists in a wide variety of areas and one must make all efforts in using their skills and already established setups.

The objective however remains to get the killer prototype that ultimately answers all questions in the project development cycle.

A meaningful shape

The shape of a pack says a lot and in some examples just everything. In a lot of cases the shapes become generic as it tends to get the same across most of the Brands. Similarly the materials used to create the shape also gets uniform , as it gets tried and tested. Most Marketers would perhaps like to have a Packaging shape which defines the category as they feel it is the first step in building a bridge with the consumer. Truly this may be the right way to move ahead with a new Brand, perhaps in a not so saturated a category. Here the Packaging has a certain meaning to the consumer in terms of the product protection, dispensing, disposability and the Habit. Changing this very often may not be advisable as it may create a dissonance in the consumer mind and make things that much more difficult for a Brand. In such cases the dependence increases on the Graphics and the Brand communication.
A unique shape often gets a birth consequent to a new product offer, trying to meet a latent need for the consumer. In such a case a lot of consumer understanding in terms of usage, imagery, habits , lead to the shape development. Very often several rounds of consumer research lead to a fine-tuning of the Packaging shape and the structure for a just right solution.
While protection , dispensing and transportation get addressed , very often the imagery aspect of the Packaging does not get completely fine-tuned. The reality is that the imagery association of a Packaging shape falls into the realm of Consumer Psychology and often takes a little time to get completely answered.
An innovative shape in a category which uses a generic shape can create a huge amount of excitement and start redefining certain parameters and assumptions. In a changing society with the changing consumer patterns such innovations are a necessity to fight for the consumer mind space. However in such cases a thorough research , trials, testing and simulations need to be done with the utmost detailing and accuracy.
The Packaging shape acquires meaning only and only if the consumer connect is evident or else it remains meaningless.

Brand Strategy vs Packaging Strategy

There could be no arguments against the fact the Packaging Strategy has to follow from the Brand Strategy and to be in sink with it. Infact the Packaging Strategy has to have its roots firmly in the Brand Essence and accordingly the Structure of a pack and the graphics should reflect that truly.
However very often Packaging could go wrong if the Brand strategy is not based on a clear consumer understanding and a clear positioning for the offer. The Packaging Development team could consequently end up getting the packaging ready which may look very heavenly but be meaningless for the consumer. Further if the Brand Strategy is lacking clarity on segmentation and differentiation, it could become impossible for the Packaging Designers to meet the consumers expectation.
In the hurry to get the Brands launched and to get the Marketing Strategy implemented, very often the Brand Strategy gets going without the required clarity or focus. The Packaging team can add a whole lot of value by understanding the totality of the Brand offer and getting abundant clarity before jumping into action. A session to work out debriefs, asking relevant questions, talking to consumers and getting involved in preparing the Brand strategy itself would help the Packaging designers to do justice to the task on hand. One very serious knowledge provider is the Consumer research group and the Packaging Designers should make all efforts to get as much in depth knowledge as possible.
Remember, breakthrough innovations come from insights and not from water tight briefs, path breaking Packaging can be created only and only if we let ourselves think laterally.Thus though Packaging Strategy follows the Brand strategy, the Packaging Designers can make a difference if they create a Packaging strategy based not only on the Brand brief but their own drive to create value , consumer insight and an objective to make a difference.

The Dichotomy of packaging Shelf appeal

The Shelf appeal of a pack is a tremendously talked about subject. Who would disagree that any pack has to have the appropriate shelf appeal to stand out in the already cluttered environment.

The fact is that very often some great packs do not perform their role, if they lack the due throw from the store shelf. The other side is that there are certain categories wherein too much of of screaming is considered 'Trying too hard' and in fact tarnishes the imagery.

Any packaging developer needs to give due consideration to the retail environment ,the category codes and also the Pack in use. Super premium and Luxury Brands perhaps focus a lot more on the Pack in use, whereas the Mass Brands use all possible elements to scream out ' Pick me up".
More often than not Marketers get a sense of a 'job done well' by ensuring that their Brand throw in the retail environment is head and shoulders above their competitors. Thus the brief to the Packaging developers is to never lose sight of this critical requirement.
The real dichotomy comes, when the Pack designer has to also ensure the right premiumness and a sleek execution. A wide variety of views have to be contended with, consequently he/she needs to do a tight rope walk to ensure that the brief is met with. The same people who are firm believers in shelf appeal start looking for sleekness and an underplayed design. The situation gets complicated when the Consumer focus group looks primarily from their usage angle and the shelf appeal is not really a prime consideration.
Often the solutions lie in creating powerful mnemonics which slowly and gradually start becoming unique identifiers for a Brand and draw the consumers by the meaning that with them. A mnemonic start occupying a mind space and thus often the Graphics need not scream too much to ensure the Brand salience. The Font styling is another tool in the designers hand which could be used very effectively and create a differentiation. Effective usage of Printing tools and inks is another area offering tremendous opportunities.
However the dichotomy is perhaps to continue forever.

The legal angle

Be it any packaging, the laws relating to consumer goods and the trademarks have a huge role to play, infact a role of a very high significance. What a packaging designer may design may have a conflicting design registration , the font or the colours may lack in uniqueness and the Design may be infringing upon another Brand's trademark.

A whole lot of projects often end up with serious problems if some of these issues are not given due importance while development. To avoid rework, it is best if some of these issues are highlighted in the beginning of the development cycle itself.
A lot depends upon how the laws are interpreted , a risk averse organisation may go too much by the book, consequently throttling Packaging creativity. On the other hand many Marketers are willing to take risks and thus many more options are possible.
It is definitely understandable that one should not have any packaging at the cost of another trademark, however being over conservative and building in too many do - nots are also not conducive for a Creative environment.
The Consumers in an ever changing environment are forever looking for a new offers and solutions for their changing needs. Packaging is one tool and infact one key element in the marketing mix which could go a long way in making this possible, would we want the Legal angle to entangle Packaging from performing this role.

The 4th and the 5th ' P ' of Marketing

Packaging is very often referred to as the 5th P of Marketing, Promotion being the 4th one and there are no clear answers as to which should follow the other. However one thing is clear that the two need to work in absolute congruence and the message going out to the consumer should be singular. If the two are in any way creating a dissonance, it is likely to prove a deterrent for the Brand.

Packaging is the first interface that the consumer has with the Product for a Brand and he/she definitely feels reassured if the linkages are clear with the communication that one has been exposed to or what one can recall.

The role of colors is immense in this area, the colors used in the communication and that on the packaging have to tell the same story . Successful Brands have used this linkage extremely thoughtfully and reaped the benefits accordingly. Very often for this very reason there are Brands which come out with a variant led communication rather than trying to use an umbrella communication strategy.

On the other hand the Graphics created on the packaging could become a unique tool in the communication media. A unique Graphic or a font style carries with it tremendous potential power of building bridges with the consumer and helping the brand to become iconic.

Very often we sub optimise these possibilities by our own myopic view and lose out an opportunity of building in competitive advantages for our Brand .
The issue lies in what got developed first, if it is the communication, Packaging does not want to give up its creative liberty and explore all possibilities , the same thing comes into play if Packaging gets created first and communication follows later. The solution more often than not lies in making choices ensuring a complete synthesis , so that the ultimate offer for the consumer is nothing but music to the ears.

The Painful trials

Any packaging development has to undergo the stage-gate system and more often than not a whole lot of trials. A new shape may look very good, but will it be runnable on the packing machines, a new material is wonderful to feel, but would it give adequate shelf life to the product, an innovative substrate for printing the label may just not be suitable for the packing lines and off course a whole lot of testing and trials to ensure the environmental friendliness.

More often than not the trials become a potentially painful exercise, a test of patience for the entire organization and a huge amount of convincing to be done for all the members of the team.

Giving up is definitely not a solution , neither is going through all the pain !

The ability to think through and predict the possible outcomes are indeed a competency that one needs to build upon . This helps in generating a finite set of options and setting out a priority of what should follow next. Armed with such a competency , one can design the packaging and all its elements ensuring the least possibility of trial failure.

The critical issue comes in when one takes the path of Innovation and steps into uncharted territories. In such a case predicting outcomes of trials may be a distinct possibility and thus clinching success gets even more difficult. Often the solution lies in making enough studies about the new variables or soliciting advise from Experts , internal or external to the organisation. The solution also lies in ensuring that each and every step is followed with utmost rigour and the team commitment sustained irrespective of failures. The initiator for any such innovation thus carries the responsibility of not only educating others and detailing out what he/she has visualized but also suggesting mid course corrections.

The devotion to conducting trials and simulations is a key to the success of a Packaging development exercise, but there are numerous daily examples when we perennially avoid them or want to move ahead with assumptions, or what is easy and convenient or simply lack of will to support the innovation.

The reality is that the pain is in our minds, if we begin to enjoy the journey looking at the end outcome , the tight rigours will appear as pleasures.

The Design ' Real Estate '

The space on a design artwork is in no way less precious than the Real Estate , no matter what the design is , one is always at a crunch for space on the artwork .

Firstly the design elements have to be incorporated in totality, as most often than not we would want to give the maximum space to the design and the branding elements. The next most important are the mandatory text, which gets still multiplied, if the brand has to be sold in several countries. There are a whole lot of Consumer communication related text which also needs to be brought in for effective product understanding or for the product usage explanation.

The Creativity lies in ensuring a right balance of building in the Brand design features and the mandatory. One should not be compensated at the cost of the other, just like in a real estate project, where the aesthetics and the luxury elements have to be balanced with the necessities and the absolute essentials.

Very often the Packaging Designers work, without a complete understanding of all the mandatory required and without a clear estimation of the area that they will need to allocate in the artwork space. Consequently it becomes a huge exercise trying to squeeze in the mandatory and the absolute essentials once the design is finalized. Given the fact that we need to keep the mandatory , the design more often than not gets compromised.

Understanding of what text to put on which panel is another aspect that requires Creative skills and and for that one needs to have a clear understanding of what needs to be put upfront and what can possibly go onto the lower or the not so prominent panels.

The role of the Technical resources and the Machine supplier comes in , by providing for the elements that would perhaps get printed online or some specific spaces need to be allocated for the machine printed text.

The challenge for the Packaging developer is to 'See through' and work the size, shape, graphics etc keeping in mind the value of each little area of space on the artwork. The challenge for the Brief provider is to ensure that all details are provided and do not keep changing as the project keeps moving forward.

Very often it is seen that it it not impossible for some Creative experts to build in a whole lot of mandatory text and yet not compromise on their design, even though the information comes in later in the day. However one is then leaving it to chance and compromises, rather than ensuring success by design.

The Design that ' Never Happened '

Based on a comprehensive brief and armed with all the Consumer insights, what the Packaging Designer creates both in terms of the Structure and the label graphics has to undergo a series of tests and trials before the Consumer even gets to see it. In the process of passing through, so many gateways , very often the design loses its complete character and in fact its original meaning.
The Designer thus has to be possessing the kind of visualisation that he/ she can see through these tests and build the design accordingly. Thus developing Designs purely for a glamorous presentation is likely to have serious roadblocks in the development process. Designs should thus be worked out keeping a very acute eye on the implementation and down the line processes. let us all answer the question on how will a design look in its real life and not just get carried away by the presentation or the Presenter's skills or the name.
This skill of seeing through is rare and very often , while we claim we all have it, it is only a few who can actually visualise the design end to end. A large experience of materials and printing skills often helps the Designer in visualizing as to what would come out well in the developed form. Or a team with multiple core skills can compliment each other and work out creative ideas which looks as well on the computer , as in the hands of the consumer.
So often, we realise that the design that one had actually intended for did not happen, or we may say, yes! we got it just right. but in our hearts we know, that we got it right but remotely connected to what one had started with.
The skill lies in letting a team of packaging specialist work , who have core competencies in the various areas of Packaging and who contribute meaningfully in each step of the development process. A creative development process is a highly sensitive one, if led by unidirectional Consumer needs it is likely to be a success but if led by any other objectives, it is definitely going to be a Packaging design that will get conceptualised but would ' never happen ' or be a real ' happening one '.

The 'Just right ' Packaging Brief

It all starts with the Packaging brief from the Brand developers or the Project owners and the success lies in getting the Brief clear and comprehensive. Someone very rightly said that ' There is nothing worse than a great packaging design of a fuzzy concept '.
A well thought out concept and idea leads to a creative which is powerful , meaningful and has accurate consumer relevance. This is clearly evident if we see any successful Brand and its connect with the consumer.
To generate the concept, most often than not a Qualitative research with a set of consumers can play a very valuable input. How often we have had packaging developed and mid course we realise that the concept itself is not working, consequently a whole lot of development work could go waste.
Once the brief is put together and the journey is begun, the continuous temptation to refine it, broaden it or 'Just having a re look' , is most often the biggest bottleneck to a successful Packaging design. Yes we should be open to refine the brief, provided there is a definite consumer advantage and is not merely to add on features which 'Someone wants '.
A just right and a well thought through brief leads to a the just right packaging and consequently a successful Brand. The Designer has to understand the complete Canvas on which he/she has to work with and the complete set of deliverable for the exercise.
Most often the Designer looks for one hook on which he/she can play upon and build the creative. Thus a clear understanding from the Designer is highly imperative specially when we are working across the globe with a wide range of societies, with different values and languages. There are immense possibilities of the Brief being understood differently and thus leading to a misfit creative output.
So, is there a Just right brief, or is there a standard format that one can use across all developments. The answer is probably NO, but the solution lies in ensuring that there is complete congruence between the Developer's and the Designer's understanding of the Brief and each ones ability in having conviction in ones Concept , based upon a clear indepth understanding of the Consumer.

The Classic Error

In our effort to get ahead with projects and launch Brands for Consumers, we very often develop Packaging designs which become serious problems in Brand Marketing. One such being the ability to visualize the packaging design as adapted into the required sizes.
Very often the Brief from the Project initiator clearly defines the sizes that one proposes to launch, but at the same time as the project progresses the sizes keep changing or keep getting added or deleted. Thus there is a clear case to work out the sizes for the packaging being proposed to be launched for a Brand, much ahead in time and early in the day.
A Packaging designer should develop a design that clearly ensures that the recommended design looks right and adapts well suitably across the proposed sizes.
Very often a packaging structural shape looks well on a particular size but does not look so well on another. We need to ensure that our selection process in the development cycle ensures that we see through this error , rather than rush and regret later. Imagine a beautiful bottle that your packaging designer developed, looked so extraordinary in a particular size, but when a wide range of consumers see your Brand in different sizes, they do not get to see the beautiful Packaging that you had thought of or approved.
The same errors happen in the Label graphic designs, very attractive in one size but not so much in another. In fact ,very often not even adaptable in another size.
The choice is ours to be careful and ask questions on design adaptability while finalizing designs or become victims of this Classic error.
Yes, we will say we all know of it , so what is new ! The fact is we all know it but more often than not ignore it, or in our effort to push a particular design or project deliberately go ahead , saying we will deal with the issue of size adaptation at a later date. The irony is at some point of time, this decision becomes an issue to deal with and results in a whole lot of rework and project delays.